


It comes crashing down

by mikharlow



Series: Writember [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Clock town, Gen, Link and Tatl wait out on the night of the final day, Writember Day 1 - Beginning/End
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-26 10:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12555700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikharlow/pseuds/mikharlow
Summary: Writember Day 1 - Beginning/EndLink is terrified that he’ll mess up, and when he does, he hates himself.





	It comes crashing down

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes I forget that although Link saves Hyrule, he is still only a little boy who grew up without a fairy, and although he has seen some stuff and has had an adult body, he’s just a kid.

It was loud. Loud, but quiet. All Link could hear was the rumbling, things falling over and shattering, the ground-shaking tremors that came with every passing second. White noise, accented by haunting bell chimes every few seconds. He crouched down, hands over his ears, hiding away underneath an overhang of one of the buildings in Clock Town. Everything in sight was drenched in a sickly red light.

Apart from one, tiny little speck amongst it all.

_Link!_

Tatl flew out from behind him.

_Link, are you okay?_ She hovered in front of him, her wings flapping frantically. _We have to hurry! Play your ocarina, quickly, we’ve gotta go back to the..._

Tatl’s movement slowed down until she was almost completely still. _Link? What’s wrong?_

The young boy looked up to his companion, eyes full of panic, tears prickling at the corners. “Tatl...” He uncovered one of his ears to wipe at his eyes, wincing when the ground shook violently, flanked by a chime. “I couldn’t — couldn’t do it, this time. I couldn’t s-save anyone.”

_Link..._

“I was too slow.” Link’s voice trembled. “I couldn’t save Romani. I couldn’t help Anju. I c-couldn’t do anything.” He buried his face in his knees, drawn up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and curling up as small as he could be.

Tatl’s wings drooped. _Link_. The boy didn’t look up. _Link!_

He sniffed. “Y-yeah?”

_You can do this. We still have plenty more tries_. Tatl comforted him the best she could, twinkling brightly despite all this chaos. _I know you have what it takes to stop Skull Kid and save Termina. Anju and Kafei — they’ll live to see their wedding. We can save Romani, too._

“R-really?” Link loosened his grip on himself.

The fairy spun in the air supportively. _I know you can do it._

Link’s cheeks were stained with tears before he knew it. He held out one hand, palm-up, stemming the flow with the other. “Thanks, Tatl. You’re... you’re right. I can do this.”

Tatl flew onto the palm of Link’s hand, a very light weight, but her soft glow warmed his heart and spirit. _You can. We’ll do it together._

“Promise?” he mumbled.

_Promise_. Tatl bounced, her way of nodding.

Link brought his other hand and cupped Tatl with it, holding her close to his face, in a sort of hug. Tatl bumped his nose, and he giggled quietly.

Another chime came, hollow yet filled with dread, bringing a sick feeling to Link’s stomach.

Tatl trembled. _We should reset. We don’t have much time_ —

“No.” said Link, and he sounded sure enough that Tatl didn’t argue with him. Another chime, they were coming faster now. “I want to stay here, with you. Just this one time.”

Tatl hesitated, quiet for a few moments, and then nodded again. Her sparkling aura fell onto and rolled off of Link’s open palms like a serene waterfall, a beacon in this soon-to-be apocalyptic town. She could see herself reflected in Link’s nervous but firm gaze, lighting up his irises and reminding her of how much he has seen. _Poor kid._

The bell chimed. Again. And again. And again, faster and faster, until neither one of them could bear it. Link squeezed his eyes shut and held Tatl closer, until the tension was so high strung that they were almost relieved when the moon fell.

It all happened in slow motion. The horrifying, taunting face of the moon seemed to catch fire and it plummeted and crushed first the Clock Tower, its face crumbling and crashing to the ground along with everything else in the town. One piercing, otherworldly sound stung through the air, and Link braced for something, anything, but... nothing came.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with a beautiful sunset sky. Oranges and purples and blues bled into each other like a painting, the cloud floating past as they went. It was the image of peace. But it was soon interrupted by a rumble, a roar, and Link watched in horror and anticipation as a faraway campfire morphed into an explosion, reaching up higher than he could see and wider then he could see, and swallowing him and the picture perfect sky until all he saw was red, then white, then black.

All of his senses, muted. He could not see, nor feel, nor speak. For one, frightful moment, he feared he’d died, and he wished he had said something to Tatl, to have done something for everyone one last time. But then he heard it.

A chuckled, full of mirth and something more sinister.

_“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”_

 

 


End file.
